Welcome to the Golden episode of the Reuben Ranger. L! We made it. Unlike the NFL, we will
continue with roman numerals until the end of time. I don’t know why I like
roman numerals but I do. Maybe it was traveling through Europe as a kid and
seeing the landmarks dated with them or maybe it was in high school when the
Y2K was going on and MMs were the candy to have. Any kind of esoteric academic
thing that annoys other people, I’m usually all about it.
A lunch date with my sweetie at Zenzero Kitchen was the perfect opportunity to
try a Reuben at a cozy little lunch spot in town. I was trying to fight off a
cold but I had enough in me to give this one a try.
Here’s to another L to get us to C.
Reuben Panini
“Corned beef cooked in-house with swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian
dressing. Served on jewish rye bread with house-made potato chips”
Appearance – (3.9/5.0)
The Reuben looks great but it doesn’t look like a Panini. I
appreciate the toasty bread but it doesn’t look like this sandwich actually met
a press. It also does not have the buttery glow of a Panini. When I ordered, I
asked for the Reuben and I assumed they were going to bring me the Reuben
Panini, but looks like I got the off-menu Reuben. I am ok with that but just
seems misleading.
This Reuben is a good example of what happens when good
toothpicks go bad. It seems to have split one half of the sandwich in two.
Clean cut. Looks like a Samurai went through it.
The house-made potato chips look great but they block the center
cut cross section view.
Quality of Ingredients
– (4.6/5.0)
I have to start with the brisket, corned beef. I have
mentioned before on this blog that it is gutsy to serve corned beef in
Texas. You could use the same cut of
meat, slather it with mustard, sprinkle on a simple salt and pepper rub and
smoke it! The corned beef on this sandwich was not thinly sliced but cut more
like you would serve a brisket sandwich. The meat had some body to it but was
tender enough to pull apart.
The menu stressed in-house corned beef and house-made potato
chips but the Russian dressing, for me, is what really had the home cooked
flavor to it. So, they either have a really good supplier or they forgot to
mention that. They did capitalize
Russian on the menu and did not capitalize Swiss or Jewish. This place could be
the Communist Bastian of Texas. They had
me questioning whether or not they actually smoke brisket. Scary stuff…
Price – (3.9/5.0)
$12. You know it is expensive when the menu uses whole
numbers. If you worry about numbers to the right of the decimal, you probably
can’t afford this place. It is better than the $18 Reuben at City Café but
still seems high.
Je Ne Sais Quoi
– (4.4/5.0)
There was definitely a “Ladies Who Lunch” vibe going on
here. It is a narrow space with Euro style tables that run the length of the
room. You can find yourself very close to your neighbor and you have to pretend
you are not listening to their conversation. There is a fancy coffee machine in
the front and you can pick up the subtle scent of coffee from your table. This
atmosphere is hard to pull off in North Texas because if there is one thing the
metroplex has, it’s space.
Taste – (9.2/10.0)
The non-Panini caught me off guard and it is expensive, but
it was good! I might even say it was worth it but only if you order water. If
you have to pay for a drink too, now you are up to ~$14. Plus, they make it so
easy for you to tip 15% or 18% with the iPad square app, now you are getting
close to $20.
The toasted non-pressed jewish rye really set the tone and
corned beef was tasty and not over seasoned. The sauerkraut did its job by
bringing balance to the dish but not overpowering the other flavors. If the
first thing you talk about is the sauerkraut, you have done something wrong. The belle of the ball is the meat and this
Reuben had that down!
Overall – (26.0/30.0)
Would I order it again? Yes (with water). There are usually more qualifiers when I say
I would order it again, but this one I really would. Of all 50 (Arabic
numerals!) Reubens, I have yet to have the same one twice. This is the closest
to my house and could be the first one I go back for.
